Kalpasar to take at least 20 years, if found feasible

GANDHINAGAR: The state government’s vaunted ‘Kalpasar’ project, meant to build a dam on the Gulf of Khambat and create one of the world’s largest freshwater reservoirs in marine environment, can take another 20 years to complete, if ever. Feasibility studies are going on, and it may take another three to five years for the government to decide whether the ambitious, Rs 90,000 crore (at 2015-16 rates) can be taken up. Meanwhile, the government has already spent more than Rs 250 crore, with Rs 100 crore being spent in the last five years, to chase the dream. The latest report of the Kalpasar department states that 21 out of 43 required surveys have been completed, and the remaining 22 studies will take another three to five years, at least. The same report says that even if the project is found to be feasible, after getting all required clearances, including environment clearances, it will take another 12-15 years for the project to be completed. According to a pre-feasibility report of the project, the cost was estimated at Rs 53,000 crore (base year 1998) in which the tidal power component was of Rs 33,000 crore. Taking into consideration average 8% inflation per annum, the present cost works out around Rs 90,000 crore minus the tidal power plant. A key official close to the development said the government has not yet started any process for environment or other clearances for the Kalpasar dam. “We have not initiated any process yet to take environment and other clearances from the government of India as it will be required only after completion of all the technical studies,” said the official. “Along with key environment clearances, we may require clearance from the ministry of defence and ministry of shipping, too,” he said.

How the estimated cost of Rs 90,000 crore would be obtained is not yet clear, but the government hopes to get funds through public-private partnerships, said the official. The proposed Kalpsar dam is supposed to form the world’s largest freshwater reservoir in sea, with a 30-km long dam on the Gulf of Khambhat, which will store more than 10,000 MCM of surface water, i.e. 25% of volume of Gujarat’s average annual rainwater inflow.